The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-03-16
Wednesday, March is, 1887.
The spasm About Teachers' Salaries.

The salaries in Abbeville range from ten TO
twenty dollars month. 1t will be hard Tor
GOOD teachers at such figures. The tendency
OF the reduction In salaries will be In the di.
rection OF driving good men and women ont
Of the ane
when other means fall. and, OF course, I'M
pairing the efficiency OF the common schools.
The "teaching capacity or man or woman
may not be affected by poor pay. Nor is !,
true that the interest OF the teacher In school
work Is certain TO be abated by the conscious.
ness OF insufficient compensation. The iact
work at small salaries as they have done at
larger ones goes only to prove their conscien-
tious devotion to duty and their right to better
seems disposed to accord them. The danger
to the schools in Abbevi lie, as result OF tne
cutting down Of the teachers pay, lies chieny
business and leaving it In the hands OF par.
ties who cannot earn q subsistence at any
thing else. This would soon result In Q waste
of all the money spent on the AoDevlile
any price. The competent ones are going to
uuit the Abbeville schools just 40 soon as OPP
portunity presents itself-Colun'btu Record.
What the Press and Banner has said about
the teachers OF Abbeville county working FOR
twenty dollars month from the public fund
is O solid fact When we say that the same
teachers, in the main, now WORK for S2o VINO
were paid $40 Is also fact. That the teachers
of Abbeyille county are, as rule, giving
abundant satisfaction to the patrons or the
schools is another fact. That twenty dollars
a month for the teachers is, in many In
stances, God-send, is another fact That as
rule, the learned professions are poorly paid
is also true. What per cent. Of the lawyers.
doctors, preachers and editors, can pay their
bills to-day.
In our opinion, nine-tenths OF the people
who try to make living by their education
make very little money. While In the
other learned professions there are many who
have very limited credit yet we are not &C
Qualnted with single teacher who does not
pay his bills, and who has not credit as far as
he wants.
The idea Of a man taking up one OF the
learned professions at $40 month. "merely as
an expedient to make money" Is preposser-
GUS. Those who work at the business for this
small price love their profession and follow
the business from the highest and purest mo-
tlves. But let the pay be increased to $50 or
s75 month and then these mercenary Great
ures OF whom the Record speaks. will apply
by the dozen, and may have no higher ambi-
tion than to receive the high salary.
The situation In Abbeville county is about
in this way. A large majority OF the teachers
are ladies, and they are good teachers-ftted
by nature and by education. to train little
children. Our Female Colleges have sent
their gr:. uates into nearly every neighbor-
hood. These young ladies in many instances,
are spirited, and prefer little Of that glorious
privilege Of being independent. Rather than
be O tax on their fathers for every ribbon and
every flower which they wear, they are glad
to get situation as teacher which will pay
them one dollar day for five hours work.
They nor their brothers can make as much by
twelve hours hard work in the home or on the
farm.
We trust that this spasm in behalf OF the
teachers and against the children, may pass
of. We think the public has been disgusted
with this ceaseless and never-ending talk OF
higher pay to teachers and less education for
the children. Even at $50 o month the chill
dren in many sections get almost no good OF
the public schools.